1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a semi-coupling detection connector wherein a semi-coupling state between a first connector and a second connector can be detected by means of a slider arrange inside the first connector in an energized state and wherein a lock release of the connectors can be securely carried out.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 11-12 shows a conventional semi-coupling detection connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-289756.
In FIG. 11, 51 designates a male connector and 52 designates a female connector. The male connector 51 has a female terminal 54 in a connector housing 53 made of synthetic resin, and the female connector 52 has a male terminal 56 in a connector housing 55 made of synthetic resin. The male connector housing 53 has a hood portion 57 made of synthetic resin integrally. The female connector 52 has a connector coupling chamber 58 to make coupling with the male connector housing 53, and a tab portion 56a for making contact with the male terminal 56 projects in the connector coupling chamber 58.
In the hood portion 57 of the male connector housing 53, a slider 59 of synthetic resin to detect the connector semi-coupling is provided slidably in a back-and-forth direction (i.e. connector coupling/uncoupling direction). The slider 59 is positioned on the upper side of the male connector housing 53 and is energized forward by a compression coiled spring 60 arranged in the hood portion 57. The slider 59 has an operating projecting portion 61 and a downward stopping projection 62 on the rear end side, a horizontal resilient abutting arm 63 in a middle portion, and a horizontal abutting wall 65 at the front end side. The abutting arm 63 has a downward abutting projection 64 at the front end side, and the abutting projection 64 has a slant plane, for sliding, on the rear side. The abutting arm 63 is vertically bendable.
The hood portion 57 is provided, in a longitudinal middle portion, with an upward guide projection 66 against which a stopping projection 62 of the slider 59 abuts. A resilient locking arm 67 extends in front of the guide projection 66. A downward locking projection 68 to engage an upward locking projection 69 of the female connector 52 is provided on the end of the locking arm 67. An abutting projection 70 for preventing bending is provided over the locking projection 68. The abutting projection 70 abuts on the bottom surface of the abutting wall 65 for checking the upward bending of the locking arm 67.
The female connector 52 is provided with the above locking projection 69 on the rear side of the upper wall of the connector coupling chamber 58. An upward abutting projection 71 for the abutting projection 64 of the slider 59 is provided in front of the locking projection 69. The locking projections 68,69 are arranged in the respective lateral centers of the connectors 51,52. The abutting projection 64 is provided on both sides of the connector 51, and the abutting projection 71 is provided on both sides of the connector 52.
When the connectors 51,52 are initially-coupled from a state of FIG. 11, the abutting projections 64,71 abut on each other, and, further, when both the connectors 51,52 are pushed each other in the coupling direction, the slider 59 is pushed and goes back while compressing a coil spring 60. The abutting wall 65 of the slider 59 separates from the abutting projection 70 of the locking arm 67 backward. And, since the slant plane of the abutting projection 64 slides on the slant plane of the guide projection 66, the abutting arm 63 of the slider 59 bends upward, whereby the abutment of the abutting projections 64,71 is released. And, the locking projections 68,69 of the connectors 51,52 abut on each other thereby to make the locking arm 67 bend upward. Further, the locking projection 68 gets over the locking projection 69 by pressing both the connectors 51,52 in the coupling direction. Simultaneously with the complete coupling of the connectors 51,52 as shown in FIG. 12, the locking projections 68,69 engage each other thereby to lock the connectors 51,52 each other. And, the terminals 54,56 of the respective connectors 51,52 are connected mutually.
In a semi-coupling (i.e. incomplete coupling) state of the connectors 51,52, the slider 59 is being pressed by a coil spring 60 in a connector uncoupling direction. Because the abutting projections 64,71 are in the abutment state, the female connector 52 is pushed out of the male connector 51 by virtue of the coil spring 60. By this, the semi-coupling of the connectors 51,52 can be detected. When the connector 52 is further pushed toward the connector 51, the connectors 51,52 are completely coupled.
With respect to the above prior art semi-coupling detection connector, however, when the connectors 51,52 are to be unlocked, they have to be strongly pulled backward. By this, the engaging plane 68a of the locking projection 68 of the male connector 51 slides on the engaging plane 69a of the locking projection 69 of the female connector 52, and the locking arm 67 bends upward, thereby releasing the engagement of the locking projections 68,69. This operation needs fairy large force. Therefore, the engaging planes 68a,69a of the locking projections 68,69 slightly slant in order to lighten the uncoupling force. This, however, causes sudden and easy coming-off of the connectors 51,52.
And, in the semi-coupling of the connectors 51,52, because the locking projection 68 of the locking arm 67 presses the female connector 52 downward due to the restoring force of the locking arm 67 in a state that the locking projection 68 is running onto the locking projection 69 of the connector 52, the sliding friction increases, the force pushing out the female connector 52 by the coil spring 60 weakens, and the detection accuracy of the semi-coupling lowers.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a semi-coupling detection connector with a slider for detecting a connector semi-coupling state, wherein a pair of connectors can be securely locked, the connector uncoupling work can be carried out smoothly and easily with a small force, and the connector semi-coupling detection can be carried out accurately.
In order to achieve the above object, as a first aspect of the present invention, a semi-coupling detection connector comprises: a first connector having a resilient locking arm; a second connector having a first locking portion and being to be coupled with the first connector; and a slider provided on the first connector slidably in a connector coupling/uncoupling direction, wherein a second locking portion for the first locking portion is provided on the locking arm, a slide portion is provided, near the second locking portion, on a side portion of the locking arm, and a first guide sloping portion for the slide portion and a second guide sloping portion for the second locking portion are provided on the slider in a connector coupling direction.
As a second aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, the slider is energized in the connector coupling direction.
As a third aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, the slide portion is provided on both sides of the locking arm.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a resilient abutting arm having a second abutting portion for the first abutting portion of the second connector is provided on the slider, the second abutting portion runs onto a guide portion of the first connector when the second locking portion runs onto the second sloping portion, and abutment between the second abutting portion and the first abutting portion is released.
As a fifth aspect of the present invention, based on the second aspect, a third abutting portion is provided on a bending side of the locking arm, an abutting portion for the third abutting portion is provided on the slider, and a slant plane of the abutting portion abuts another slant plane of the third abutting portion under the energization in an engaged state of the first and second locking portions.
As a sixth aspect of the present invention, based on the second aspect, a stopping portion is provided on the slider, and the stopping portion abuts the guide portion under the energization.
As a seventh aspect of the present invention, based on any one of the previous aspects, the first and second locking portions each have an engaging plane being vertical or slanted in a direction of hard unlocking.
Action due to the above structure is described hereinafter.
By pressing both the connectors in the coupling direction (forward), the first abutting portion pushes the second abutting portion backward thereby to make the slider go back. Along with this, the first guide sloping portion of the slider picks up the slide portion of the locking arm, and the locking arm bends a little when the slide portion shifts along the first guide sloping portion. Next, the second guide sloping portion picks up the second locking portion of the locking arm, and the locking arm bends largely when the second locking portion shifts along the second guide sloping portion. That is, the second locking portion separates from the first guide portion in a locking arm bending direction. Subsequently, since the second abutting portion of the slider runs onto the guide portion, the abutting arm bends, the abutment between the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion is released, and the slider returns forward. Then, the abutment between the second locking portion and the second guide sloping portion is released instantly, and the locking arm is restored. And, the second locking portion engages the first locking portion, whereby the connectors are locked and completely couple with each other simultaneously.
When the connector is in a semi-coupling (incomplete coupling) state, both the locking portions do not engage each other. And, since both the abutting portions are abutting, the first abutting portion is pushed with the force, by which the slider is energized forward, in the connector uncoupling direction (backward), and the second connector is pushed out. Like this, the connector semi-coupling is detected.
For uncoupling both the connectors, the slider is slide toward the connector uncoupling direction (backward). Thereby, similarly to the above, the first sloping portion picks up the slide portion of the locking arm, and subsequently the second sloping portion picks up the second locking portion, whereby the locking arm is forcibly bent and thereby the engagement of both the locking portions is released. Both the connectors are uncoupled by being pulled in the connector uncoupling direction.
According to the above-described structures of the present invention, the following advantages are provided.
(1) Because the engagement of the locking portions of the connectors is released by forcibly bending the locking arm by means of the first guide sloping portion and the second guide sloping portion in turn, the connectors can be easily uncoupled only by lightly pulling them in the uncoupling direction. Therefore, the engaging planes of the locking portions need not to be slanted in an easily disengageable direction, thereby strengthening the locking force and preventing sudden coming-out or slipping-off of the connectors. And, because firstly the slide portion of the locking arm is picked up by the first guide sloping portion and subsequently the second locking portion is picked up by the second guide sloping portion, the locking arm can be securely and largely bent. Therefore, the contact of both guide portions can be prevented during the connector coupling operating, the force for the connector coupling operation can be reduced because of the reduction of sliding friction, thereby facilitating the coupling operation with a smaller force.
(2) Because the pressing force of the slider just acts as a pushing-out force of the second connector, the second connector can be securely pushed out at the connector semi-coupling state, thereby improving the connector semi-coupling detection accuracy.
(3) Because the slide portion is arranged on both sides of the locking arm, the locking arm does not twist when the first guide sloping portion picks up the slide portion, thereby stabilizing the bending operation of the locking arm.
(4) In the connector coupling operating, the second locking portion runs onto the second guide sloping portion, the locking arm bends large, and the abutment of the first and second abutting portions is released. And, the slider returns elastically, and the abutment of the second locking portion and the second guide sloping portion is released. Therefore, the locking arm is restored in the original state, the second locking portion securely engages the first locking portion, and the connectors can be securely locked each other.
(5) Because the slant plane of the third abutting portion of the locking arm is pressed by the slant plane of the abutting portion of the slider in a direction opposite the bending direction of the locking arm in the locked state of the connectors, bending of the locking arm is securely checked, and a sudden lock coming-off can be securely prevented.
(6) Because the stopping portion of the slider abuts the guide portion of the first connector under the energization, a restoration position of the slider can be accurately defined.
(7) Because the both locking portions each having a vertical or hard-unlocking slanted engaging plane engage each other, the locking force can be improved, thereby further securely preventing the sudden lock coming-off. Because the engagement of the locking portions of the connectors is released by forcibly bending the locking arm by means of the first guide sloping portion and the second guide sloping portion in turn, the connectors can be easily uncoupled only by lightly pulling them in the uncoupling direction in spite of the vertical or hard-unlocking slanted engaging planes.